The Azzurri’s run ends: the two singles are deservedly taken home by Muchova and Machac who both win in two sets. Jasmine wastes 10 break points, Flavio beaten within an hour
Italy’s run in the United Cup ends in the quarter-finals. In Sydney the Azzurri say goodbye to the competition after the defeat against a Czech Republic in excellent form thanks to the knockouts of Jasmine Paolini against Karolina Muchova and Flavio Cobolli against Tomas Machac. The Czechs, more concrete and aggressive, pass with merit: the Italians have regrets above all for the bad luck and waste of Paolini who wastes 10 break chances out of 10, while Cobolli is swept away by his opponent who is decidedly more precise in everything, and capable of snatching the serve in the first serve of the opening set. The Czech Republic will meet the United States in the semifinals.
paolini ko
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The key moment of the first set comes at 2-2, when the Italian is on serve. It is a game of 18 points in total, in which Paolini has to eliminate four break points by inventing all kinds of break points: on one of the best points of the first set he evades Muchova’s smash with a surgical lob before mocking her at the net. But on the fifth occasion the world number 22 hits the mark and goes up 3-2. In the next game the Italian would have the opportunity for a counter break, but she sends it into the corridor. Her first set becomes further complicated when the Czech scores another break and goes 5-2, thus being able to serve for the partial: each game is actually a marathon, also because Paolini collects two more balls for the counter break, but when Muchova hits the net and it’s a verdict: 6-2 in 50 minutes. The script doesn’t change in the second set: systematic advantages at every turn of serve, with the Czech scoring immediately with the break, taking advantage of a slightly weak serve from Paolini, 1-0. The Italian does not exit the match and postpones any attack until the fourth game, the crucial moment of the set: Paolini carves out two chances for the counter break, but sends the lob out of nowhere and is then stopped by the Czech’s powerful serve. Which brings home the seventh game out of 7 to the advantages and goes up 3-1, making the match safe at this point. Paolini now raises the white flag and suffers another break. The blue’s match manifesto is offered by the sixth game, when she doesn’t realize the sixth break point she had available in the entire match (there will be 10 at the end of the match, none taken home) and curses herself and her bad luck. Muchova closes 6-2 6-2.
Machac dominion, Cobolli defeated
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Flavio gets off to a bad start on serve: he goes 15-40 down, then commits a double fault and the Czech goes up 2-0, immediately breaking the break. It’s a first set that’s too bad to be true: the Roman never goes beyond 15 in his opponent’s serves, which distances him widely from the idea of a break. And indeed, he breaks his serve to go up 5-1, mocking him in the exchange and taking advantage of too many inaccuracies from the blue. The first set ends 6-1 for Machac after 24 minutes. In the second set Cobolli had to avoid the immediate break to play his cards in response and the balance was maintained until 2-2: rapid exchanges, Flavio seemed in control. In the fifth game, however, Machac’s acceleration surprises him at 15-40: the blue player loses control and commits a double fault, taking the break. The Czech is surgical in the exchange, Flavio takes risks but is imprecise and collects another break: comfortable 5-2 for Machac who goes to serve for the match and doesn’t tremble. After less than an hour of play the Czech closed the score (6-1 6-2) and took his team to the semi-finals: tomorrow morning they will face the United States.
mixed doubles, only joy
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The only Italian victory in the United Cup crossroads was that of the mixed doubles: Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori in fact got the better of Knutson and Rikl. It ended 7-5 3-6 10-4 for the Italian couple who achieved their third success in as many matches within the competition, albeit useless for the purposes of reaching the semi-finals.
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